Champions Creed

Chapter 96 095: He wants more than just victory (asking for monthly tickets!)
The game was suspended and Michael Jordan walked off the court cursing.

An incredible and shameful mistake completely destroyed Michael Jordan's perfect image.

Jordan himself couldn't forgive himself. That round just now was a complete humiliation for him.

It's okay to pass the ball at the critical moment, the most shameful thing is that he can't pass the ball clearly.

Pippen also covered his head with his hands on the bench. He clearly had the opportunity to become famous and change the situation at a critical moment. If he caught the ball and made that damn open jump shot, he would be the hero tonight.

With such a good opportunity, he turned himself into a clown.

On the big screen of the Orlando Arena, Roger's series of critical performances were being replayed.

Among them, the scene in which he scored the goal over the heads of Jordan and Pippen was the most popular among the fans.

The second most popular image is Jordan's missed pass.

The great Michael Jordan also looked embarrassed at the moment of the mistake.

The divinity in him seemed to disappear completely at that moment.

A true god will never make mistakes at critical moments, always hitting the target wherever he points. Even if he doesn't point at the basket, he can definitely find his teammates accurately.

Whether Jordan admits it or not, it is a fact that he was completely defeated by Roger at the crucial moment tonight.

Phil Jackson called a timeout again, but it was too late to stop the Bulls' decline. The mistake greatly dampened the team's morale.

After the timeout, Jordan scored a difficult mid-range shot, but time was no longer on the Bulls' side.

104-97, the Orlando Magic defeated the Bulls at home and led the series 1-0.

Jordan was in unrivaled form, scoring 47 points in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals. That was good, but useless, to be honest.

Roger scored 39 points, Shark scored 24 points, and Grant scored 18 points, making Jordan's 47 points completely in vain.

The Magic's record against the Bulls this season has been rewritten to 5 wins and 0 losses.

Total victory! Complete suppression!

Jerry Krause was ready to move. He felt that sooner or later the fans would find his home address and tie him up and hang him from a street light.

To be honest, even a Roger fan like him didn't expect such a situation.

He knew that Roger and O'Neal joining forces would cause trouble, but he didn't expect it would be a trouble that would prevent the Bulls from winning a single game.

Krause fell into deep self-blame. Trading away the best player on the team was nothing. Many general managers would make this mistake.

But trading away your best player while creating an unbeatable opponent for yourself is just stupid, stupid.

But soon, Klaus felt wronged again.

No, it's not my fault.

How the hell can you blame me for this?
This has nothing to do with me at all!

If it weren't for that damn boiled egg, if it weren't for his damn conditions, would I have done such a stupid thing?

What did Jordan say last summer?

"Do you think I will lose to a stupid fat guy and a loser who lost the finals? Do you think I will be afraid? Do you think Roger can let a team that was eliminated in the first round threaten my position? In my opinion, Roger should stay in the East so that I can take better care of him."

What a beautiful speech, what confidence, showing the dominance and power of the God of Basketball.

But now?

Already 0 wins and 5 losses, Black Jesus!

The bullshit is exposed!
Krause was deeply aware that he and Jordan were completely tied together.

Although they are incompatible, they are in the same boat.

Jordan's failure is also Krause's destruction.

Krause turned off the TV helplessly. He could only pray that Jordan would dominate in the next few games.

In the post-match interview, Jordan couldn't escape. Using the smart groin once or twice is fine, but using it all the time is a bit too shameless.

"What do you think of the shot Roger made over you and Scott?"

"I just want to talk about the Bulls."

"So Michael, what do you think about the missed pass on the last pass? That almost cost the game."

"Everyone makes mistakes, but I never look back. Now I only think about how to win the next game."

"Man? No longer Black Jesus tonight?"

Jordan stared at the reporter who asked this question and said nothing. If he had a gun at hand, Jordan would definitely smash the man's face.

But Jordan could do nothing. He could only allow tourists to tease him like an actor pretending to be a princess in Disneyland.

In the past, no reporter would dare to directly ridicule Jordan in such a way at a press conference.

Today's question is a symbol of his rapidly declining status.

He is no longer the supreme ruler.

However, this little tease was nothing compared to what Roger and Shark said at the press conference.

If the reporter's ridicule just now is considered an offense, then O'Neal and Roger's actions against Jordan are simply a direct infringement.

"Shaq, what do you think of Michael's performance tonight?"

"Good but not great, good but not outstanding. Overall, Michael is great, just a little bit behind Roger."

"But he scored 47 points tonight and Roger only scored 39."

"Then why don't you talk about Michael's mistakes at crucial moments? That was his biggest highlight tonight."

Of course Roger didn't let Jordan go.

"Why do you look so unhappy? This is undoubtedly a big win tonight."

"Because I haven't achieved my goal yet. My goal is not to win an Eastern Conference Finals game, but to win the championship and then smash the championship trophy on Michael Jordan's head, making him nod and hand over the crown, so that he can no longer say I am the runner-up."

There is no more direct and brutal violation than this.

Most people would only go so far as to say, “I want to win the championship,” but Roger also revealed the rest.

Even in the 90s, when hostility among players was high, such an answer was too abusive.

But is there anything to hide between Roger and Jordan?

It's like the Celtics and Lakers never had to pretend to be friendly with each other.

This is a war of historical significance.

Jordan had nothing to say about this. He was a seasoned hunter and he knew very well that this was the cruel jungle of the basketball court.

There is no mercy here. The only thing you can do is to find a way to hit the other person.

However, this time, it is not so easy for Jordan to fight back. In fact, G1 is just an appetizer, and what he is about to experience is more cruel than he expected!

In Game 2 of the series, Michael Jordan was still invincible, scoring 30 points on 17 of 38 shots.

But Jordan's old buddy Horace Grant made 16 of 11 shots, and O'Neal had 25 points and 12 rebounds.

The most important thing is that the Bulls still can't do anything to Roger.

罗杰全场28分5次助攻4个篮板，帮助魔术以107比103拿下G2。

After the game, Michael Jordan said for the first time: "I don't understand why the team didn't keep Horace!"

He even began to miss the leaker whom he had once disliked.

This makes him more like a mortal, because only a mortal would publicly complain about management's inaction.

Why can't Olajuwon win a championship? Because he is a mortal. He once complained publicly: "We can't use these players to form a team. I'm not scolding my teammates, but the whole team is at this level. We can't do anything. In the final analysis, my Rockets career is now on the edge of a cliff."

What about Michael Jordan? He never had a similar public complaint. Even when he was unhappy about Krause trading Oakley away, he never complained publicly.

But now, he's starting to complain about the team letting Grant go.

However, Horace Grant was not complacent about having Jordan's recognition.

He doesn't need that now.

Grant doesn't need Jordan's recognition and respect now, he just needs to beat Jordan, so his speech is quite sharp:
"Regarding Michael, I know there are many legendary stories about him. But there are too many fictional and deleted parts about his stories. I don't want to tell you what the real Michael is like here, because I'm not a whistleblower. The only thing I can tell you is that Michael is not a perfect person, he will lose the game, and you will see it soon.

Under the perfect leadership of Roger, we will definitely achieve the desired result.”

Roger's speech was much shorter this time: "6 to 0, Michael knows what I mean."

The Chicago media exaggerated the Bulls' two losses in Orlando as if they were reporting the end of the world. They were horrified to find that the Black Jesus guarding Chicago had disappeared.

Now, they only have an ordinary Michael Jordan who will fail, bleed, and be knocked down.

Although this is a best-of-seven series, all of Chicago knows what it means to be behind 0-3.

The Chicago Bulls have no way out.

The whole world was waiting to see Jordan's fate-changing Game 3, but any rational fan knew that the Bulls had no chance of winning at all.

First of all, the Bulls were completely unable to deal with Roger, their defense at the power forward position was simply too bad.

Brian Hill set up so many pick-and-roll tactics for Roger, not to target Pippen, but to target Webber.

Hill coached Webber last season, so he knows exactly how bad that guy's defense is.

In the playoffs, any defensive weakness is fatal.

Webber's weakness in defending pick-and-roll was the key reason why Pippen was beaten time and time again.

If the Bulls had a Horace Grant-level 4 defender, Roger's pick-and-roll wouldn't be so free. Now, do you know why Jordan misses Grant?

Secondly, the Bulls couldn't completely block O'Neal.

In any case, whether the Bulls used the Shark Hack or the Double Team, O'Neal could still score at least 45 points in the Bulls' restricted area with a hit rate of more than 20% every night. He was indeed restricted, and he could not kill the game. But he could help Roger push, and that was enough.

The Bulls couldn't find a way to fill their fatal gaps, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and they seemed to be in a leaky boat.

They have strong personal abilities and can steer the ship while plugging any leaks.

But in this way, the bull will not be able to sail far.

Someone needs to help them fill those gaps, and then the two of them can calmly steer the ship and ride the waves, so that the Bulls can go far enough in the playoffs.

It’s a pity that the Bulls don’t have such a person.

Chris Webber's performance in the playoffs was simply a disaster, not just on defense, but on both offense and defense. Even when Webber was at his peak, his performance in the playoffs was discounted compared to the regular season, let alone this immature Webber.

Nick Anderson's instability made Jordan unable to trust him.

Toni Kukoc can lead the transition period well, but he cannot solve the Bulls' real pain points.

In the end, you will find that Luke Longley, who is ridiculed as "stupid and dumb", is the only one who can help Jordan and Pippen share their troubles.

At least, he could really foul O'Neal without any burden and let the shark struggle at the free throw line.

So, there is no hope for the Bulls, ever.

They were sailing this leaky ship, so it was only a matter of time before it sank.

However, this ship was originally suitable for long-distance voyages.

But Jordan thought the guy who did all the dirty work for him was a snitch, so he left.

He believed that the gifted young man was a usurper, so he left.

Michael Jordan chose to board a broken ship.

He believed that he could reach the shore of victory even if he commanded a broken ship.

No, he was too confident.

With a 2-0 lead, Roger returned to Chicago.

When Bulls fans saw Roger appear at the United Center wearing a Magic jersey, they felt nothing but regret.

Just a year ago, Chicago fans didn't actually miss Roger that much.

Although they lost Roger, they got a mature shooting guard who averaged 15 points per game, three first-round draft picks, and a power forward who Jordan had chosen as having unlimited potential. In Jordan's eyes, was there any need to question Webber's potential? Everyone believed that he would definitely become a talent.

Michael Jordan also made everyone believe that the future of the Chicago Bulls was bright.

But who could have thought that he would be in such a mess now.

Roger looked at the dome of the United Center, where the banner of the 1993-1994 Eastern Conference champions was hung.

But does anyone care? Does anyone care that Roger was once a part of the history of the Bulls? Does anyone care that Roger helped the Bulls reach the finals without Jordan and win 57 games?

No, because people here only believe in Black Jesus.

Roger looked away and stared at the Bulls logo on the floor of the United Center. He was sure that Chicago fans would remember him forever.

It’s not because of the Eastern Conference championship, but because he will do the most cruel thing on this court!
In Game 3 of the series, the Bulls had a life-saving battle. They led all the way in the first half and ended the second quarter with a 7-point advantage.

Roger's touch fluctuated a little today, and he was not as unstoppable as in the first two games. This is the reason why the Magic fell behind at halftime.

But in the second half, O'Neal and Grant controlled the frontcourt rebounds.

O'Neal and Grant were always able to grab the ball missed by their teammates in the paint. Even when Grant went off the court to rest, Michael Cage, who was substituted in, was able to fight for the rebounds toughly, after all, he was the former rebounding champion.

The Magic's visible inside advantage began to take effect, and the rebounds were firmly controlled by the Magic.

Chris Webber and Longley were like two elementary school kids who accidentally walked into a high school game, watching the Magic's inside players snatch all the balls away.

Relying on more second-chance opportunities, the Magic launched a massive counterattack.

In the final moments of the third quarter, Roger scored five points in a row and the Magic reversed the score to 67-66, entering the final quarter with a lead.

On the bench during the intermission, Jordan completely abandoned his great image and turned into the most terrifying demon:

"Chris, you're as soft as a piece of toilet paper! I finally know why you lost so many games in Orlando, I finally know why! I feel so sorry for you, your cat is sick, go home and feed it cat food, even that will be more useful than letting you play! Go away, I don't need you!"

Wonderful, very wonderful.

The Bulls were given an almost identical script to last year.

Last year, also in the Eastern Conference Finals, Roger scolded Pippen in front of tens of thousands of people for refusing to play, which represented a complete breakdown of their fragile relationship.

This year, in the Eastern Conference Finals, Michael Jordan completely fell out with Webber in front of the home fans.

This is the real Michael Jordan. He treats his teammates like the prison guards in the movies treat the prisoners.

He doesn't think there is anything wrong with what he does, because winning requires a price. He forces those who are lazy and challenges those who don't want to be challenged. In his opinion, this power that overrides the dignity of everyone is what the team leader deserves.

Last year, Roger blasted Pippen and then killed the game himself.

But this year? Can Jordan do the same?
In the fourth quarter, people found Chris Webber pressed on the bench with his head buried deep in a towel.

Toni Kukoc replaced Webber. He could do what Webber could do, but he couldn't do what Webber couldn't do.

The Bulls' fundamental problem has not been solved, and the defense at the four position is still being targeted.

Roger took ruthless action against his former friend. He used pick-and-roll to put Kukoc in the same embarrassing situation as Webber.

In the ninth minute of the fourth quarter, Roger broke through directly with the help of a pick-and-roll and completed a slam dunk over the head of Kukoc who was trying hard to defend.

Roger didn't say anything to Kukoc, he just turned and left, which was the last bit of decency he left for his friend.

Kukoc was helpless. This was the war between Jordan and Roger.

Brutal, bloody, and without mercy.

Only the dead will see the end of this war!
After this dunk, the Magic team led by 8 points and their momentum was high.

What about the Bulls? Their morale had hit rock bottom. In the next few attacks, the Bulls were not doing well and encountered many unexpected events.

Nick Anderson made a mistake in catching the ball with his butter hands, and he almost said to Jordan, "Michael, please don't pass it to me."

If you kill one sheep in front of the other sheep, the other sheep may be frightened to death.

The scene of Jordan scolding Webber had already frightened Nick Anderson, and he was so nervous on the court that he couldn't perform at all.

Then, Pippen missed a wide-open three-pointer. Defending Roger consumed too much of his energy, and he simply didn't have the feel for long-range shooting.

Jordan himself made a three-pointer, but it was of no avail.

97 to 92, Roger was able to win the game after scolding his teammates, but Jordan lost the game after scolding his teammates. His status is like a stock, it can't stop falling!

The United Center was in complete silence. Chicago had not experienced such a dark moment since 1990.

They tried hard to resist and tried to change their fate, but the most terrible thing still happened.

Trailing 0-3 in the total score, the Chicago Bulls have become meat on the chopping board!
Roger mercilessly kicked his old club, the Bulls, into the abyss!

Now, the whole world knows that Roger wants more than just victory, he also wants Jordan to be eliminated humiliatingly.

Now, the whole world knows that the most cruel trial is about to come.

We never said we would turn the Eastern Conference Finals into the Eastern Conference Semifinals. We did have a tough six games against the Knicks. But against the Bulls, our goal from the beginning was four games. You all say Michael is Superman, so this episode is called The Death of Superman. — O'Neal talks about the possibility of the team sweeping the Bulls.

Our goal is to win the next game first, and we have to take it step by step, instead of rushing to create some history! ——Phil Jackson talks about the probability of a 0-3 comeback.

I don't want to talk about him. I don't have anything to talk about with him anymore. I don't want to talk about the game. I don't want to talk about anything. --Chris Webber always had red eyes during interviews in the locker room. Maybe he was missing Shaq.

Andrew Sharp, the most unhappy writer of Sports Illustrated, interviewed Roger:

"Congratulations, Roger. You are just one step away from reaching the finals for the second consecutive year."

"There's nothing to congratulate. Only trash players would regard reaching the finals as an honor."

"Well, how do you feel now? I mean, no team has ever led the Bulls 1987-3 in a series since the Celtics in 0, not even the Pistons. But now you've done it. You wanna talk about it?"

"We are different from the Boston Celtics. Bird could only sweep the Bulls 3-0 at most, but this will be the first time that Michael Jordan's Bulls will be swept 4-0. I said he couldn't win a game this season. Michael also said the Bulls could not win the championship without me. You have seen the result. Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they want to say it."

"Another quote from Plato?"

"Yes."

"Well, what do you think of Michael Jordan in his first year back?"

"You're asking this as if you're sending him off in advance. Do you want me to tell you the truth?"

"Does it hurt? If it doesn't, then don't talk about it."

"Well, my feeling is that Jordan No. 45 is no longer Jordan No. 23. He is like a tiger with all its teeth and claws plucked out. Although he struggles hard, he has no killing power."

"Thank you for the interview, Roger, and I wish you the best in your life."

No. 45 is not as good as No. 23. Roger deliberately said the famous quote that originally belonged to Nick Anderson. He also knew what Jordan would do next.

What could be more humiliating than forcing Jordan to wear No. 23 and then getting swept?

Michael Jordan was a brutal abuser.

So does Roger.

Last summer, when the Bulls traded Roger, when Jordan announced his comeback and attracted worldwide attention, Jordan thought he had won, he thought he was still the master of this era.

So he unscrupulously humiliated Roger, belittled Roger, and mocked Roger, calling him "runner-up" and "waste" all day long, just like he did to other opponents.

And in the next game, Roger will let Jordan know what true and complete victory is.

During Michael Jordan's prime, he was forced to wear a jersey that represented his past glory and then had his head shaved.

Perfect, really perfect.

Roger can't wait to crucify Black Jesus too!
(End of this chapter)